Climate Scientist Krishna AchutaRao, Pioneer in Human-Induced Climate Change Research, Dies at 62
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
Climate scientist Krishna AchutaRao, professor at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, died on September 4, 2026, at the age of 62. His groundbreaking work demonstrated the extent to which observed climatic changes in India could be attributed to human activity, bridging global climate science with regional risks. AchutaRao led collaborative studies showing detectable human influence on temperature shifts across Indian sub-regions and played a key role in establishing IIT Delhi’s Centre of Excellence for Climate Change Adaptation. Before returning to India in 2007, he worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the U.S. His research also explored climate event attribution, such as heatwaves, and integrated AI tools into monsoon and climate studies. Colleagues described him as a principled critic of compromised scientific integrity and a warm, humorous figure.
Why it matters
India’s climate science community faces a significant loss with AchutaRao’s passing, as his research directly informed regional climate policies and adaptation strategies. His work will shape future efforts to attribute extreme weather events to human activity, impacting policymakers, environmental scientists, and public awareness of climate risks in the country.
Read the original report — The Hindu
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.